A wireless network is a network in which information is transmitted by means of electromagnetic waves. It is a wireless telecommunications system to which the methods of wireless technology are applied. A wireless network differentiates between transmitter nodes that send out information, switching nodes that forward the information that was sent out from transmitter nodes to other switching nodes and/or to a receiver node, and receiver nodes that are the destination of information sent out from a transmitter node. Each transmitter node is consequently constructed to at least send out wireless messages. Each switching node is constructed to receive wireless messages and to send them out again after reception. Each switching node consequently also satisfies the minimum requirements for a receiver node that is constructed to at least receive wireless messages. A simple variant of a wireless network is consequently composed of at least one transmitter node and one receiver node or one switching node. In practice, wireless networks are composed of several transmitter nodes, switching nodes, or receiver nodes.
Physical limits for the operation of wireless networks are given, for example, by the transmission range of individual transmitter nodes or switching nodes. For example, it is definitely possible that the distance of a transmitter node from a receiver node that is the destination of a message sent out by the transmitter node is greater than the range of the transmitter node. Consequently, such wireless networks are always laid out so that at least one additional receiver or switching node is arranged within the range of a transmitter, receiver, or switching node. In this way, distances can also be traversed that go beyond the range of an individual transmitter or switching node. In such a case, the individual wireless messages are switched from a transmitter node via the reachable switching node to a receiver node. Here, several switching nodes in parallel are burdened with the switching. Thus, the message is forwarded via several randomly formed transmission paths to the receiver.
The switching of wireless messages in the wireless network leads to a high data transfer volume in the wireless network until each message that was sent out by a transmitter node has reached its destination, a switching node or a receiver node.